{"id":35856,"date":"2026-06-29T13:00:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T13:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ono.ac.il\/eng\/?post_type=news&#038;p=35856"},"modified":"2026-06-29T13:04:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T13:04:33","slug":"knesset-conference-highlights-ono-uja-cooperation-on-reducing-conflicts-in-the-ethiopian-israeli-community","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.ono.ac.il\/eng\/news\/knesset-conference-highlights-ono-uja-cooperation-on-reducing-conflicts-in-the-ethiopian-israeli-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Knesset Conference Highlights Ono-UJA Cooperation on Reducing Conflicts in the Ethiopian Israeli Community"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\">\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><video src=\"https:\/\/www.ono.ac.il\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/06\/Ono-English-WEB.mp4\" controls=\"controls\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\"><\/video><\/figure>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Knesset Conference Highlights Ono-UJA Cooperation on Reducing Conflicts in the Ethiopian Israeli Community<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The conference at the Knesset marked three years of collaboration between Ono Academic College and UJA-Federation of New York to strengthen social cohesion within Israel\u2019s Ethiopian community. Hosted by MK Rabbi Moshe Solomon, MK Pnina Tamano-Shata, and MK Dr. Tsega Melaku, the event brought together policymakers, educators, religious leaders, activists, students, and community members to discuss leadership, identity, dialogue, and communal responsibility.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A central theme throughout the conference was that unity does not require uniformity. Speakers emphasized that differences in religious practice, political outlook, generation, or personal experience should not divide the community. Instead, they argued that mutual respect, listening, and shared responsibility can transform diversity into a source of strength. Moderator Shmuel Yilma stressed that Ethiopian Israelis remain connected by a common history and a collective commitment to the future despite their differences.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MK Rabbi Moshe Solomon highlighted the importance of preserving the rich traditions of Beta Israel while recognizing the significance of the community\u2019s return to Israel as part of the broader ingathering of the Jewish people. MK Pnina Tamano-Shata focused on engaging younger generations in preserving Ethiopian Jewish heritage and called attention to the need to address gender-related challenges within the community.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Educational and cultural leadership also featured prominently. Adv. Zeev Kaso described Ono\u2019s success in expanding higher education opportunities for Ethiopian Israelis, while Rabbi Dr. Sharon Shalom discussed the values of resilience, equality, and mutual responsibility embedded in Beta Israel tradition and their relevance for Israeli society today.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dr. Samuel Schwartz reviewed the achievements of the Ono\u2013UJA initiative since 2023, highlighting student-led projects that foster dialogue across social, religious, and generational divides. Keis Aviyu Azaria presented the program\u2019s third-year Beit Midrash, which brings together Ethiopian rabbis and keisim to study and discuss issues such as marriage, kashrut, Shabbat, ritual purity, and religious leadership. The group is preparing a joint publication intended to promote practical solutions, mutual respect, and communal unity.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The conference concluded with a shared message: the future strength of both the Ethiopian-Israeli community and Israeli society depends on partnership, respectful dialogue, and the ability to build trust across differences.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The conference at the Knesset marked three years of collaboration between Ono Academic College and UJA-Federation of New York to strengthen social cohesion within Israel\u2019s Ethiopian community. Hosted by MK Rabbi Moshe Solomon, MK Pnina Tamano-Shata, and MK Dr. Tsega Melaku, the event brought together policymakers, educators, religious leaders, activists, students, and community members to discuss leadership, identity, dialogue, and communal responsibility.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":35858,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-35856","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","categories_news-updates_news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ono.ac.il\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/35856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ono.ac.il\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ono.ac.il\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ono.ac.il\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ono.ac.il\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ono.ac.il\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}